Card guide

ABSTRACT

A circuit board guide mount affixed to parallel spaced sideplates with mechanical indexed mounting for both ends of each guide mount and with adhesive used between each guide mount and its sideplate for obtaining the mounting strength required through an extended service life with repeated insertion and withdrawals of circuit cards or boards.

United States Patent [111 3,563,391

[72] Inventors Marvin D. Weltha 1,71 1,030 4/1929 Pifer 21 1/184XMarion; 1,760,456 5/1930 Palmenberg 211/184X -d J, B Jr" Cedar Rapids,2,697,631 12/ 1 954 Miller 21 1/184UX I wa 2,812,225 11/1957 Trax1er..312/1403 [21] App]. No. 772,784 2,863,567 12/1958 Friar 21 1/184X [22]Filed Nov. 1, 1968 3,026,453 3/1962 Marks 317/101DH [73] AssigneeCollins Radio Company 3,258,650 6/1966 Fiege 3 l7/101DH C d r Ra id I w3,349,924 10/1967 Mauren. 21 l/41X acorponfionoflowa 3,368,117 2/1968Pond 317/101DH FORElGN PATENTS 230,972 l/1964 Austria 317/101DH 1 1 CARDGUIDE 298,092 7/1954 Switzerland 312/1404v 3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

Primary Examiner-Roy D. F razier [52] (I 211/41 AssistantExaminer-Abraham Frankel 3 1 2/ 140.3, 317/ 101 Attorneys-Warren H.Kintzinger and Robert J. Crawford [51] Int. Cl "05k 7/14 [50] FieldoISearch 211/41,

1 M 317/ l lDH; 312/ 137, ABSTRACT: A circuit board guide mount affixedto parallel I 140.3 spaced sideplates with mechanical indexed mountingfor both ends of each guide mount and with adhesive used between [56]Rel-em CM each guide mount and its sideplate for obtaining the mountingUNITED STATES PATENTS strength required through an extended service lifewith re- 1,677,544 7/1928 Brainard peated insertion and withdrawals ofcircuit cards or boards.

Paientd w). 16, 1971 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG- 3 INVILNTURS HOWARD J.BRONSON,JR BY MARVIN D WELTHA CARD GUIDE This invention relates ingeneral to retainer racks or holders for printed circuit boards, and inparticular, to a circuit card (or board) guide for receiving and guidingedges of a board or card being inserted for connection with blindconnectors and the long term mounting of such boards or cards inequipment card racks or boxes.

Electronic circuit and component mounting structures in the form ofcircuit cards and boards have been faced with problems of properalignment and encounter many other problems particularly when aplurality of such boards are inserted in a card rack or box to form anequipment box or module. Alignment of boards during insertion isparticularly important with proper guiding of mating connectors a must,and this requires a prerequisite degree of care and skill in effectivelyfunneling one connector into the engagement area of its mate. Further,with many equipments, the space limitations imposed on funneling devicesin the'instant case card (or board) guides is quite severe. Also amongthe problems faced are acceleration forces incumbent with someinstallation environments along with, in many mounting schemes,unacceptable vibration and resonance amplification rattling. It is,therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide a circuitcard (or board) guide and mount enabling close connector alignment andinsertion mating, occupying minimal space, with sufficient strength as amount to adequately resist shock and vibration loading, and thateliminates rattling with the cards snugly and securely supported.

A further object is to provide such a card guide and mount capable ofrepeated insertion and removal of cards (or boards) without any materialadverse diminution of the initial guide and mount capabilities through agreatly extended service life.

Features of this invention useful in accomplishing the above objectsinclude a guide mount used by pairs one on each of the inner walls foreach board of two spaced parallel sideplates for mounting of circuitboards traversing the space between the sideplates. It is guide mountproviding close connector alignment and guided insertion mating, thatoccupies minimal space, optimizes circuit board spacing factors, and hassufficient resilient holding mount force and mounting strength togenerally quite adequately resist shock and vibration loading andminimize, if not eliminate, rattling of cards or boards mounted therebyEach guide mount includes an upper card edge insertion guiding rampedthroat, and a back portion with indexing structure at both ends. It is aguide mount made of relatively thin, highly resiliently flexible yetstrong material, for example, thin beryllium copper generally less than100 th of an inch of thickness with opposite sidewalls formed to ex.-

i tend upward from the back portion thereof in relatively large inwardlydirecting parallel radius curved portions for minimized stressconcentrations and long service life as a mount with, in some cases,repeated insertion and extraction of circuit cards. The sidewalls alsoinclude a more sharply curved reverse bend outwardly from the largercurved portions to advantageously present opposing parallel inner radiusrounded edges to clamp opposite sides of a circuit card edge in thedesired mounting thereof. An adhesive is used between the back portionof each card guide mount and the respective inner wall of the two spacedparallel sideplates in maintaining structural integrity and to providethe mounting strength required through an extended service life withrepeated insertion and withdrawal of circuit boards or cards.

Specific embodiments representing what'are presently regarded as thebest modes for carrying out the invention are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of a circuit board receiving rackwith card (or board) mounting sideplates, equipped with circuit boardedge guide mounts, mounted on a bottom circuit connector plane plate;

FIG. 2, a partial cutaway view showing a circuit board in a partiallyguide inserted state with a connector box supported in proper alignmentwith connector pins projecting from the bottom circuit connector planeplate;

FIG. 3, an enlarged exploded detail view of one sideplate, a circuitboard, and the board edge guide-mount embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4, another board edge guide-mount embodiment; and,

FIG. 5, still another board edge guide-mount embodiment.

Referring to the drawings: the card or board retainer rack or holder box10 of FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 includes a bottom circuit connector plane plate11 and spaced parallel sideplates 12A and 128 that are mounted thereonto form the U-shaped box 10 therewith. Other than tang projections 13 ofsideplates 12A and 128 that are received in openings 14 of bottom plate11, the mounting details of the sideplates 12A and 12B to the bottomplate 11 to structurally form the U-shaped box 10 are of a conventionalnature and not shown. Edge guide mounts 15 are mounted on the innerfacing walls 16 of the spaced parallel side plates 12A and 128 inprecisely located positions and closely controlled orientation forreceiving, guiding, and providing long term mounting of respective edges17A and 17B of circuit cards 'or boards 18 as they are inserted orremoved and while mounted fully inserted in place. The boards 18 areshown to include connector boxes 19 for mating connection with connectorpins 20 mounted to project vertically upward from the top of bottomplate 11.

Please note that the tank projections 13 of the sideplates 12A and 12Bare inserted through alignment openings 21 in tabs 22 of the respectiveguide mounts l5 and any additional projecting overlapping ears 23 oftabs 22, if any, may be bent up the outside of the sideplates 12A and128 as shown in FIG. 1. This construction with the tabs 22 clipped overtank projections 13 advantageously provides close indexing for the guidemounts l5 and also mechanical fastening therefor. Further, with the tangprojections 13 being received in carefully and accurately locatedopenings 14 of the bottom plate 11, the sideplates 12A and 12B areproperly positioned relative to the bottom plate 11 with the guidemounts 15 in proper position on the sideplates for guiding boards 18 tofully inserted position in the holder box 10 and while being insertedfor proper connector mating between connector boxes 19 and connectorpins 20. Tabs 24 at the upper ends of guide mounts 15 are insertedthrough index slot openings 25 of the sideplates 12A and 128 for furtherclose indexing and mechanical fastening of the guide mounts 15 to thesideplates 12A and 128. An adhesive such as EC2214 Iii-Flex(005-l609-00) is also used to glue the backs 26 of the guide mounts 15to the inner walls 16 of the side plates 12A and 12B, and with the guidemounts 15 having been formed from beryllium copper sheetingapproximately 0.0060 inches thick advantageously thereby attaining adesired balance of resiliency in deformation and mounting strength.Please note, however, that other materials could be used both for theguide mounts l5 themselves, and also as adhesive in the mountings to theside plates and in some instances solder could be the adhesive.

The upper inwardly formed over edges 27 of the sideplates 12A and 12Bareprovided with oversize slot openings 28 in general alignment with thetop throat ends 29 of the respective guide mounts 15 for easy insertionof card or board edges 17A or 178 to the top throat ends 29 of guidemounts 15. For optimized ease and reliability in guided insertion ofcard or board edges 17A and 17B to the top throat ends 29, guide mounts15 are provided with bent over upper opposite side corners 30 angledadvantageously for ramp guided easy card or board edge insertion. Afurther aid to easy board insertion is the top radius rounded edge 3]transition from the back base portion 32 of the guide mounts 15 to tabs24 as compared to sharp upper edges existent with some other cardmounting guides. Each guide mount 15 is provided with opposite sidewalls33 and 34 formed to extend outwardly from the back base portion 32thereof and from the respective inner facing wall of a sideplate 12A and128 with an inwardly curving relatively large radius portion 35 forminimized stress concentration and optimized resilient deflectioncapabilities in clamping of a card or board edge. The sidewalls alsoinclude an outwardly directed bend 36 closely adjacent the outer edges37 of the sidewalls 33 and 34 in order that a card or board edge 17A or17B mounted therein be advantageously clamped between opposing parallelinner radius rounded edges 38 of the sidewall bends 36 rather thandisadvantageously between sharp outer clamp edges.

Referring now to the guide mount l embodiment of FIG. 4 portions thereofthe same as with the embodiment of FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 are numbered thesame as a matter of convenience and this is done also with theembodiment of FIG. 5. With the approach of FIG. 4, tang extensions 13'from the guide mounts l5 themselves replace the tangs 13 of the sideplates 12A and 12B of FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 for alignment positioning of theguide mounts and the sideplates they are mounted on.

The guide mount 15" embodiment of FIG. 5 is quite similar to theembodiment of FIG. 4 with, however, the integral tang extension 13 beinga roll formed and tapered tang extension of guide mount 15'' in place ofthe flat tang extension 13 of guide mount 15' of FIG. 4. Please notethat with some racks or boxes the side plates 12A and 12B are replacedwith side plates having an outward extending formed over upper edge inplace of inwardly extended formed over edges 27 with slot openings 28.

Thus, there is hereby provided a card guide mount resiliently grippingopposite sides of a circuit card or board edge with the mount used inpairs to mount opposite edges of cards or boards traversing the spacebetween spaced parallel side plates mounting the circuit board guidemounts. The circuit board guide mounts are advantageously particularlyadapted for guiding the insertion of and full inserted movement ofboards, and for the proper mating insertion connection of blindconnectors between connector elements mounted on boards and matingconnector elements on a circuit connector plane plate also serving as amount for the spaced parallel side plates. It is a guide mount structuresubstantially eliminating vibration resonance and rattle encounteredwith some other circuit board guide and mount structures whilepermitting considerably improved closer spacing of cards and boards andpermits use of a greater range of card and board size than with manymounts presently in use. Further, positive mechanical alignment isadvantageously assured for the card guide mounts at the bottom orcircuit connector plane plate ends thereof and also for the spacedparallel side plates carrying the card guide mounts.

Whereas this invention is here illustrated and described with respect toseveral embodiments thereof, it should be realized that various changesmay be made without departing from the essential contributions to theart made by the teachings hereof.

Iclaim:

1. A circuit board edge guide mount designed to be individuallysupported on inside facing opposite walls of spaced parallel sideplatesto provide insertion guidance for and mounting of the opposite edges ofcircuit boards mounted between and generally transversing the spacebetween the sideplates, including: a guide mount of flexiblematerialhaving a longitudinally extended back portion from a board edge entranceend to a bottom end; first index means adjacent the entrance end; secondindex means adjacent the bottom end; opposite sides extending out fromsaid back portion generally in spaced parallel relation through most ofthe length of said guide mount and presenting card edge opposite sideengaging parallel edges; with board edge entrance ends of said oppositesides formed outwardly to present a ramped board edge en trance guidethroat at the board edge entrance end of the guide mount; wherein, saidfirst index means is a bent over position indexing and mount tab at theboard edge entrance end of the guide mount for position indexing andmounting insertion in a guide mount indexing and mounting slot providedtherefor in a sideplate; said guide mount is mounted on sideplates inturn mounted on a bottom circuit plate including position indexing oenings; and indexing pro'ections in the orrn of extensions rom saidsideplates provi ed with guIde mount and sideplate assemblies forprecise position indexing of said guide mount and sideplate assembliesupon index and mounting insertion of said index projections into saidindexing openings of said bottom circuit plate.

2. The circuit board edge guide mount of claim 1 wherein, said secondindex means is a bottom tab with an index opening for clipping saidbottom tab over one of said indexing projections of a sideplate forclose indexing and mechanical fastening of the guide mount on asideplate.

3. The circuit board edge guide mount of claim 2 wherein, said indexingprojections are tang extensions; and with the tang extensions in taperedform.

1. A circuit board edge guide mount designed to be individuallysupported on inside facing opposite walls of spaced parallel sideplatesto provide insertion guidance for and mounting of the opposite edges ofcircuit boards mounted between and generally transversing the spacebetween the sideplates, including: a guide mount of flexible materialhaving a longitudinally extended back portion from a board edge entranceend to a bottom end; first index means adjacent the entrance end; secondindex means adjacent the bottom end; opposite sides extending out fromsaid back portion generally in spaced parallel relation through most ofthe length of said guide mount and presenting card edge opposite sideengaging parallel edges; with board edge entrance ends of said oppositesides formed outwardly to present a ramped board edge entrance guidethroat at the board edge entrance end of the guide mount; wherein, saidfirst index means is a bent over position indexing and mount tab at theboard edge entrance end of the guide mount for position indexing andmounting insertion in a guide mount indexing and mounting slot providedtherefor in a sideplate; said guide mount is mounted on sideplates inturn mounted on a bottom circuit plate including position indexingopenings; and indexing projections in the form of extensions from saidsideplates provided with guide mount and sideplate assemblies forprecise position indexing of said guide mount and sideplate assembliesupon index and mounting insertion of said index projections into saidindexing openings of said bottom circuit plate.
 2. The circuit boardedge guide mount of claim 1 wherein, said second index means is a bottomtab with an index opening for clipping said bottom tab over one of saidindexing projections of a sideplate for close indexing and mechanicalfastening of the guide mount on a sideplate.
 3. The circuit board edgeguide mount of claim 2 wherein, said indexing projections are tangextensions; and with the tang extensions in tapered form.